Erie Canal Branch Mini Layout N scale

[Chris333]

Kind of going slow, but I'm going. Always wanted to do a scrap yard, but never did because I never thought I'd like whatever I'd do.



Still need to work the piles into the ground with more scrap. And the dirt here will be almost black.

[peteski]

Yup, that was translated to N scale by Charlie Vlk.  The master was created with individual bricks.  It's got a lot of character!  Believe Dick Billings cast the copies and they were offered under the V-Line brand. 

I also believe there was an article in N Scale magaizing about it's construction.

Friend of mine (who has moved away since) had one of those resin castings on his N scale layout and I remember him telling me that the master was made brick-by-brick.  Wonderful tiny structure!

Funny think is that I used to drive by a similar looking building in Everett, MA Slightly larger, but still had lots off character.  I haven't been around that area for few years, but I just looked it up on Google Street View.  The gaudy blue paint to me ruined its character. It used to be natural gray color.

[Chris333]

Painted the sliver of road at the coal dealer. Put up a fence.

[Chris333]

The bad thing about putting your files up online:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/234992110002
Nothing wrong with printing them and selling them since I put them up as free public domain or whatever, but they used a filament printer    At least the photos show what you'd get.

[OldEastRR]

What kind of arrangement will you make for filling the fuel dealer tanks from a tank car? I need something like that for my own coal yard.

[Chris333]

What kind of arrangement will you make for filling the fuel dealer tanks from a tank car? I need something like that for my own coal yard.

The hoses are stored in the shack to the right of the tanks. 

[Chris333]

While looking for 1940's city images for ideas on the backdrop I found a Shorpy image that someone had colorized.
https://www.shorpy.com/node/11702
I took their colorized photo and cropped several areas to scale. Then had many copies made of each crop. I cut out parts I wanted a rearranged them till I liked it. Took me about 3 hours and I came up with this.






Need to paint the sky blue, but I think this will work.

[Bendtracker1]

Looks good Chris!  Adds a lot of depth.

[OldEastRR]

The hoses are stored in the shack to the right of the tanks. 

So it's just a gravity feed from the car to tank.

[Chris333]

We have sky. Had the exact color I wanted, then at the store picked one shade darker, then after I painted it I misted it with light grey primer. Oh well. The buildings are glued to it now.

[Chris333]

Put up wood veneer around the layout so I can blend the scenery right to the edge.




Just a first coat. Will get evened out as scenery goes.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That veneer is cool. Where did you get it?

[Chris333]

Menards. Funny thing is a 1x8' piece is only $8 bucks more than a 1x4' piece.
https://www.menards.com/main/kitchen/cabinet-organization-accessories/veneer-edge-banding/pureedge-trade-12-x-48-paper-backed-wood-veneer-facing/sf45p012048sv10pe/p-3289655540214422-c-3607.htm?exp=false

https://www.menards.com/main/kitchen/cabinet-organization-accessories/veneer-edge-banding/pureedge-trade-12-x-96-paper-backed-red-oak-wood-veneer-facing/sf31p012096sv10pe/p-3289655540214136-c-3607.htm?exp=false

[PiperguyUMD]

Put up wood veneer around the layout so I can blend the scenery right to the edge.




Just a first coat. Will get evened out as scenery goes.

Great idea! I’ve been trying to figure out how I’m going to cover up the exposed foam on the front edge of a TTrak module. Might have to steal this one!

[McRuss]

Hello Chris,

may I ask, what radii, turnouts and track lenght you have used? And what are the dimensions of the layout?

Markus